Improvement in lamps



A WHITLOCK I Lamp. No. 82,051. Patented Sept. 8, 1868.

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ABEL WHITLOCK, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

Letters Patent No. 82,051, dated September 8, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAMPS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN;

Be it known that I, ABEL WHITLOCK, of Danbury, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new. and useful Improvement in Lamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through one of my lamps, showing the interior arrangement and the valves.

Figure 2 is'also a vertical section of the same, showing a different internal arrangement My invention'relates to that class of lamps known as fountain-lamps, and it consists, first, in dividing the interior space of an ordinary lamp with partitions, furnished with suitable valves, so that the principles and advantages of the best fountain-lamps may be secured with the cheapest and most convenient construction; second, in connecting the valves, so that they may be reciprocal in their action.

Fountain-lamps of various descriptions have been in common use for a very long time, but, so far as I am aware, they have not been constructed so as to be applicable to the kerosene and other similar oils .now in general use, nor to small and cheap lamps suitable for hand use. It is well known that kerosene-oil refuses to ascend by capillary attraction to a height of more than, say, two and a half inches with sufiicientfreedom to maintain the flame at a maximum intensity. Hence it is remarked that the light usually begins to fail in brilliancy after two or three hours burning, when the oil in the oil-pot has fallen to a point more than the distance above named. At this time, the combustion begins to be imperfect, from the inadequate supply of oil, the wick crusts over, and the lamp emits unpleasant and deleterious odors. Different qualities of oil vary in their ascensive power, and, while at one time the flame will continue brilliant until the oil has fallen to three inches below, at other times it will begin to fail when scarcely more than two inches intervene between its surface and the flame. By a series of experiments, I have ascertained that the best and most uniform results will be obtained if the distance between'the flame and the surface of the oil is maintained at about two inches, a little more or less not afl'ecting the result materially. I have, therefore, devised my lamp, to secure the maximum result, by securing an automatic flow of oil to the wick, at a constant distance from the base of the flame of about two inches.

Another important advantage is secured incidentally by my mode of constructing lamps, z'. 6., freedom from a dangerousaccumulation of explosive gas around the base of the burner, due to the vaporization of the oil,

and its mixture with small volumes of atmospheric air, which will gain access thereto, however perfectly the lamp may be constructed.

That others may fully understand the construction and operation of my lamp, I will particularly describe it. A is the oil-pot or reservoir, which may be constructed in any ordinary and convenientmanner, though the bottom should not be more than about two inches or less below the top, if the lamp is designed for hand service. At the centre of the oil-pot, and extending to the bottom of the same, is the cylinder B, forming a small well, into the top of which the burner (lis inserted, and to the bottom of which the wick D extends. The reservoir for the oil is the space surrounding the well B, and within the shell A, and the oil gains access to the well through a small opening or slit, E, made in the cylinder B, and extending from the bottom thereof upward to a distance equal to the depth of oil desired to be in the well. This depth may be aboutone-half of one inch. Suppose, now, the reservoir A to be filled with oil, and the opening E to be then uncovered, oil will flow out of the reservoir, through said opening, until the same is closed in the well by the rising fluid, so that no more air can gain access to the reservoir, when the flow will cease until a portion of the oil has been removed from the well by combustion or otherwise, when an equal quantity will immediately flow through E to replace that which has been removed. This result depends simply upon atmospheric pressure upon the fluid within the well. When its surface has been depressed, so that a certain volume of air can enter the reservoir, an equal quantity or weight of oil will flow out, and, during the process of combustion, there will be, theoretically, a constant stream of oil passing into the well, and an equally constant stream of air passing into the reservoir, and this interchange will be exactly sufficient to maintain the surface of the oil in the well at an exact and constant height.

In order to facilitate the process of filling or replenishing the reservoir A, I make an orifice, F, at some convenient point in the roof of the same, through which the oil may be poured. This orifice I close with a valve, I, so that, while the lamp is in operation, or contains any oil, no air 'can gain admission to the reservoir through the orifice F, and, to make the mechanical portion of my lamp with a view tothe utmost simplicity and convenience, I attach the valves I and G (the latter of which closes the orifice E when the orifice F is unclosed) to the same stem H, so that they may both be operated by the same force, and at the same instant.

In fig. 1, the'valves'are shown as operated by a thumb-piece, J, and by simple pressure thereon to open the ilpper and close the lower valve, and the spring K will instantly reverse these positions when the pressure is removed from the nut J. I i

In fig. 2, the valves I and G are attached to a rotating shaft, H, which, when moved on its axis, will open one valve and close the other. In this figure, the lamp is represented as constructed with a small chamber at the bottom of the well, which will always be filled with oil while any remains in the reservoir.

It, of course, is not necessary that the two valves should be attached to one stem, but it will be considered advantageous to'have them so arranged. v 1

Having described-my invention, .what I claim as new is-- A lamp-pot, constructed with the interior chamber B, said chamber communicating with the reservoir A. by an orifice, E, which may be closedwith a suitable valve while the reservoir is being replenished, in combination with valves G and I, substantially as shown and set forth.

' ABEL 'WHITLOCK.

Witnesses:

O. R. Donmlve, DAVID 3'. Boom; 

